Yi Shi was transferred to the Haijing Municipal Bureau. In just one year, he had already become an indispensable part of the Criminal Investigation Team.
His ability was beyond doubt; his skills in solving cases and catching criminals were top-notch. He often acted as an informal member of the pre-trial team, and his skills in handling cases were well-developed. More importantly, his charm and personality shone through; he had good looks and a calm demeanor, being neither arrogant nor impatient. He quickly earned unanimous praise from everyone in the bureau, earning titles like “the bureau’s face,” “the first face of the Criminal Investigation Team,” and “the darling of Haijing.”
“He not only stole my popularity but also took my titles! Those police flowers and sisters who used to often eat and chat with me can’t even be invited anymore! All those loving breakfasts, handmade cookies, and snacks are now completely out of my reach!” Yuan Maoqiu complained tearfully as he crushed a soda can.
His target of complaint—Lin Heyu—sat quietly next to him, hardly bothered, “Oh.”
“…That’s all you conclude after listening to so much?”
“What else?” Lin Heyu poured himself a glass of beer. “If the police flowers don’t date you, you should reflect on your own problems. What good is blaming others?”
“Are you even my good brother?!”
“Just because I’m your brother, I’m making you face reality.” Lin Heyu handed him some grilled vegetables. “With a reputation like yours as a ‘gardener,’ and exes plentiful enough to field a soccer match, what woman would dare to date you?”
“I really can’t help it! Although I have a rich dating history, during my relationships, I was definitely devoted, yet I ended up being dumped every time for various reasons. I’m almost on the brink of collapse.”
On the plate were green vegetables, spring beans, and okra, green enough to make people uneasy, instantly poking at Yuan Maoqiu’s pain point—his last breakup reason was due to a third party’s interference. He had worked hard at his job to give his girlfriend a world, yet he ended up in this mess.
“Aren’t we brothers?! Why are you dragging me into this? Lin Heyu, don’t always shift the topic on purpose!” Yuan Maoqiu was getting anxious. “Does Yi Shi really have someone? How come I’ve never seen them? With his good fortune with women, doesn’t his partner get jealous?”
“Of course there is.” Right next to you.
“Come on, what kind of person are they to have such a broad mind?”
Lin Heyu said lightly, “Because he is very devoted, so they don’t worry.”
Yi Shi had been observing everything; he actually felt this was a good thing. In the previous world, Yi Shi was like a flower on a high mountain—beautiful yet unattainable. He was too cold and distant, his heart sealed in ice, unwilling to let anyone touch it. Despite being excellent and outstanding, his personality made others avoid him, and some even considered him an eyesore, failing to get the treatment he deserved.
But now he had grown up next to Lin Heyu, and his personality had softened significantly after their integration. Although still quiet and reserved, he had become more humble and polite in dealing with people, willing to engage in normal interactions with colleagues. As a result, his exceptional character and gentle nature made it inevitable for him to be well-liked by everyone. This was exactly what Lin Heyu hoped for him—a normal life.
As for jealousy, Lin Heyu didn’t have such doubts and found it trivial. Yi Shi had publicly stated that he was not single and had no inappropriate behaviors with anyone, maintaining normal interactions. Any gifts he received were returned intact, and once home, he liked to be clingy and sweet, making others feel they had to cherish him.
Yuan Maoqiu was clearly drunk. If he drank more, he would be out of it. Lin Heyu settled the bill and answered Yi Shi’s phone call: “Are you done?”
“Yeah, almost. Did you buy everything?”
“Got it. The car is parked at the corner.”
Lin Heyu glanced at Yuan Maoqiu, who was slumped on the table, and nudged his arm, “Get up; I’ll take you home.”
“No… I can’t go home… My parents will scold me…” Yuan Maoqiu hiccupped and clung to Lin Heyu’s arm, “Brother, please help—”
Lin Heyu: “…”
Knowing he would be scolded every time he got drunk, yet recklessly getting himself drunk, he wondered what he was thinking.
Yi Shi’s voice came from the phone: “What happened?”
“Nothing,” Lin Heyu sighed helplessly, “I’m taking this trouble home.”
__
Yi Shi waited for Lin Heyu in the car. Before long, he saw Lin Heyu helping Yuan Maoqiu walk slowly toward them.
The back door opened, and Lin Heyu tossed Yuan Maoqiu inside. Yi Shi curiously asked, “How come he drank so much?”
“Self-inflicted troubles.”
“Is it about the partner?” Yi Shi aimed precisely and timely, “I just saw the violin teacher with her new boyfriend at the supermarket.”
Yuan Maoqiu, drunk and sensitive to keywords, suddenly burst into tears and sang loudly, “Why do you love someone else behind my back?”
Lin Heyu frowned and grabbed his collar to silence him. He glanced at Yi Shi.
Yi Shi looked innocent, his heart aching. It seemed he had indeed invested true feelings.
Returning to Nanyan Spring Mansion, Yuan Maoqiu was already asleep, completely wasted. Lin Heyu had to get him home, with no complaints.
“Yeah, he will definitely get up and vomit later; the living room is closer to the bathroom.”
Yi Shi turned on the air conditioning, set it to a comfortable temperature, and searched the room for a comforter to cover Yuan Maoqiu. Lin Heyu organized the daily necessities he had just bought by category. In the bag, only a few brightly colored co-ndoms remained, and he smiled, “Bought so many?”
“…It was a buy-three-get-one-free deal.”
Yi Shi felt his ears burning and pushed Lin Heyu’s arm, signaling him to go back to the room quickly. Not only did Lin Heyu stand there without moving, but he also flipped through each box to check the flavors. Yi Shi was embarrassed and pressed down on his hand, “Let’s go back to the room… Yuan Maoqiu is…”
“It’s fine; he won’t wake up,” Lin Heyu wrapped an arm around his waist and whispered, “Which one do you want to use tonight?”
“…Anything is fine…”
“Pick one.”
Yi Shi always felt like there were eyes watching him from behind, worried and shy. But Lin Heyu didn’t let him go, so he could only grab something randomly: “This thing.”
“Hmm, okay.” Lin Heyu found it amusing. He kissed his cheek, and seemed to feel it wasn’t enough, leaning down to kiss his soft lips.
After a sweet and lingering kiss ended, Lin Heyu finally released Yi Shi, ruffling his hair. When he looked back, he saw Yuan Maoqiu had woken up on the sofa at some point, staring at them with wide eyes.
Yi Shi: !!!
Lin Heyu: …
Yuan Maoqiu: ???
Yuan Maoqiu rubbed his eyes vigorously. What did he just see? Lin Heyu, hugging Yi Shi, kissing???
This dream was truly overstimulating; he must have drunk fake wine tonight.
Lin Heyu walked over, wiped Yuan Maoqiu’s eyelids with his right hand, and reassured Yi Shi: “It’s okay now.”
“……” Yuan Maoqiu suddenly sat up, “Lin Heyu! I’m not dead; I’m just drunk! I was scared awake just now!”
He pulled off the air-conditioned blanket covering him and paced back and forth in the living room: “What’s going on? Aren’t you two brothers? When did this start?”
“Sit down.”
“Damn it, no wonder Yi Shi went back to normal; I thought you guys were just being good brothers, but it turns out you’ve already secretly crossed the line!”
“Do you want me to hit you?”
Yuan Maoqiu had to sit down, his face full of astonishment. Was he going to be silenced after revealing such a shocking secret?
Lin Heyu waved at Yi Shi, who walked stiffly to the sofa and was pulled down by a warm hand, sitting next to Lin Heyu.
“We don’t have blood relations, and we haven’t been together for as long as you think. Before, we had a normal family relationship. This matter is complicated to explain, and you won’t understand. In short, it’s not a spur-of-the-moment decision; we have a deep bond and will be together from now on.”
Yi Shi’s tense shoulders gradually relaxed, and his right hand naturally intertwined with Lin Heyu’s left hand, fingers interlocking.
He wasn’t afraid of strange looks; he was worried that this relationship being exposed would bring inconvenience to Lin Heyu. They had no parents; friends were the most important relationship to maintain besides love. At this moment, since Lin Heyu was willing to be honest, he had no reason to hide and would let things unfold naturally.
Yuan Maoqiu stared at the two of them for a long time and blurted out, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Lin Heyu, how many years have we known each other? You could have trusted me enough to hide a little secret!”
“Okay, I was really shocked, but I’m not someone with a narrow mind. You guys live together every day, and it’s understandable that feelings would develop, but you have such low trust in me; it’s really disheartening.” Yuan Maoqiu gritted his teeth, “Damn it, this isn’t something that can be resolved with one barbecue; at least three meals!”
“Fine, just don’t get completely drunk, and don’t make me drag you back again.” Lin Heyu’s lips curved slightly, feeling suddenly much lighter, and patted Yuan Maoqiu on the shoulder: “Your endurance is strong; you didn’t lose face.”
Yuan Maoqiu was completely sober from the alcohol and resolutely decided to take a taxi home to sleep. Although he had accepted the story of his good brother suddenly becoming gay, he still couldn’t temporarily accept the way the two were all lovey-dovey. Was that Yi Shi? Soft and tender in front of Lin Heyu, with a hint of blush; where was that fierce demeanor when he grabbed people?
Before leaving, Lin Heyu caught Yuan Maoqiu’s arm: “No matter what, thank you, Maoqiu.”
“Why so polite? Aren’t we brothers?” Yuan Maoqiu glanced at Yi Shi behind him, “But hey, I won’t call him sister-in-law; that’s absolutely not happening!”
“…You don’t have to call him that. Go on.”
———
Yuan Maoqiu’s three meals of barbecue were quickly arranged, but each one was more infuriating than the last, each one more of a dog abuse show.
The first meal was an accident. Originally, it was supposed to be a private gathering with Lin Heyu. Halfway through, Lin Heyu announced that there were lobsters in the restaurant, so he called Yi Shi over, and personally peeled the lobster shells, feeding all the lobster meat to his wife. Yuan Maoqiu clicked his tongue, shaking his head. Oh Lao Lin, I didn’t expect this from you.
The second meal was even more excessive. The two came together, seemingly thinking that Yuan Maoqiu was already one of their own and didn’t need to hold back in front of him. The entire time they were lovey-dovey, openly showing affection. Yuan Maoqiu shivered, covered in goosebumps, regretting breaking up too early, and could only suffer through dog food.
The third meal was unbearable; besides these two brothers, there were two more guests—the vice captain of the Nanyi Criminal Investigation Team, Yu Xue, and their bureau’s forensic doctor, Qi Wenyu. He heard that they were on vacation to find Yi Shi, and it was just the right day to come join in the fun.
To the left—
“A-Xue, do you want to eat lobsters? I’ll peel them for you.”
Yu Xue glanced at the thirteen-spiced lobster in the center of the table: “You eat yours; I’ll peel my own.”
“Eat first, don’t bother; I’ll serve it to you once I peel it.” Qi Wenyu put on gloves, working skillfully to the point of making people feel pity.
Yuan Maoqiu: …Forensic Doctor Qi, what have you experienced in Nanyi for the past ten years?
To the right—
Yi Shi’s right hand had been scratched while catching someone two days ago, giving Lin Heyu even more reason to take care of him intimately. He took a quail, completely removed the bones, and kept the quail in its whole shape, placing it in front of Yi Shi.
Yuan Maoqiu: ? Your wife’s one hand is injured; isn’t the other one perfectly fine?!
Yuan Maoqiu felt like he was stuck in the middle, like a gigantic light bulb comparable to a star, illuminating the whole ground.
Yu Xue picked up the shrimp meat one by one and tossed it into his mouth, laughing: “Captain Lin’s bone-removal technique is very skilled; have you practiced?”
“Sometimes I use it in cooking.”
This was Qi Wenyu’s area of expertise. He picked up another quail from the table for explanation: “The large bones come out easily, but if the small bones aren’t removed well, it’s easy to damage the flesh. You should cut here first, then open the fascia…”
In the bustling barbecue restaurant, while everyone else was drinking and playing games, the atmosphere was lively; only at their table were they discussing anatomy knowledge. Yuan Maoqiu glanced at Qi Wenyu, his eyes even more strange; what exactly are you doing? Is your mental state okay?
“Forensic Doctor Qi is amazing.” Yi Shi sincerely praised as he listened attentively.
“Can people be disassembled like this?” Lin Heyu asked.
??? Yuan Maoqiu was horrified. The one next to him was the one with a mental issue! Suddenly blurting out such a sentence; can you not scare people?!
“I think I know what Captain Lin is thinking about; although I want to discuss it, I’m afraid some people can’t handle it.” Yu Xue tried to suppress his laughter, “You’ve scared the gardener into dropping his chopsticks.”
Lin Heyu glanced at Yuan Maoqiu, making a ruthless comment: “Useless.”
Qi Wenyu also shook his head, sighing: “The gardener probably doesn’t even dare to enter the dissection room, right?”
Yi Shi honestly exposed him: “Yeah, last time I called him to get samples for examination, he couldn’t even eat lunch.”
Yu Xue: “Hehe.”
Yuan Maoqiu: “………………”
I swear I’ll never eat with couples again.
As for any brothers or comrades, let’s cut ties; ten meals of barbecue wouldn’t be enough!
